Transmission oil leaks

[dbuelke]

My nearly 70-year-old Oliver is leaking oil from the transmission-PTO-differential housing, most noticeably at the left brake shaft seal. This is a single housing unit that requires 6 gallons of 90-weight transmission oil. I don't want to invest the time and money to tear it down and replace the seals, so I'm thinking of trying a stop-leak product. I realize they have questionable results, but I thought it would be worth a try. Are there any success stories to report out there? Is a standard 'dose' effective, or does it require a proportional amount based on the volume?

 

[IH3444]

Double OO corn head grease.

 

[dbuelke]

Do you mean to refill the entire case with this grease? At $50 a gallon (if I can find it near me), six gallons add up to a lot of money. I read one post that stated it tends to settle to the bottom of a gearbox. Since this is where the leaky seal is located, do you think a lesser amount would work in a bath of 90 wt?

 

[rScotty]

My nearly 70-year-old Oliver is leaking oil from the transmission-PTO-differential housing, most noticeably at the left brake shaft seal. This is a single housing unit that requires 6 gallons of 90-weight transmission oil. I don't want to invest the time and money to tear it down and replace the seals, so I'm thinking of trying a stop-leak product. I realize they have questionable results, but I thought it would be worth a try. Are there any success stories to report out there? Is a standard 'dose' effective, or does it require a proportional amount based on the volume?

I don't know old Olivers except to recognize the distinctive body style when I see one.
What kind of transmission fluid is in there now? Is it 90 wt gear lube that you mention? 90 wt isn't all that much more viscous than 30 wt motor oil. Is there a more viscous gear lube - like a 120 wt?

Before adding a stop leak compounds that works by swelling seals, I'd want to check that the hydraulic fluid is in a separate sump from the transmission-PTO-diff housing. Most modern tractors share a common sump for everything after the engine, but if it were mine I wouldn't want a seal swelling product in the hydraulic system. I doubt the tractor would benefit from swelling the O ring seal on a 3pt piston for instance, or the seals in the hydraulic pump..
For that matter I'm just assuming that an old Oliver even has hydraulics. Many old tractors did have a small pump for the hydraulic 3pt, although I believe a few didn't.
rScotty

 

[IH3444]

Squirt OO grease in as transmission level goes down. It may stop leaking on it's own. Read post about people putting corn grease double OO into their rotary cut gear boxes. Tractor supply sells it also, cheaper than John Deere. It's just Double OO grease. Worth a try.